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Top 10 stories
A look at the headlines from MLS' fourth season
Posted: Friday November 19, 1999 06:25 PM
BOSTON -- As we head toward the fourth MLS Cup this Sunday, it might be wise
to look back at the top stories that shaped this season:
1. Garber's in, Logan's out
Stagnant attendance and TV ratings helped lead to the demise of former
commissioner Doug Logan, who was replaced in August by former NFL executive
Don Garber. The league's board of governors decided to make the move in
mid-season because the new commissioner would not have much time to implement
his plans since the season ended so late -- Nov. 21. Ironically, that was
Logan's call -- to play the league's championship game this Sunday.
2. Hello Columbus: A new stadium
The league took a giant step toward total self-dependence and autonomy as the
Columbus Crew unveiled the MLS' first soccer-specific stadium. Think of it:
no more fields that are not wide or long enough. No more taking a backseat to
pro and college football. And no more football lines on the field. Sounds
live soccer nirvana, doesn't it?
3. Goodbye, shootout
Less than four months after he became commissioner, the regime of Don Garber
made some significant changes, one of which was the banning of the
controversial shootout. Now, tied games will remain as tied games after
playing a pair of five-minute overtime periods. Other changes for next year
include the addition of stoppage or injury time and the stadium clock will count
up and not down.
4. Sunil gets bounced
Several months before he was axed, then commissioner Doug Logan wielded an axe
of his own, firing deputy commissioner Sunil Gulati, ending a power struggle
between the two. Even though he was the No. 2 man in the league, Gulati was
seen as having much more power than Logan because he handled all negotiations
concerning player contracts. The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back
was Gulati unilaterally renewing the option year of the contract of
MetroStars midfielder Tab Ramos without consulting the team. Don't cry too
much for Gulati. He has resurfaced as director of soccer for Kraft Soccer
Properties, guiding the destiny of two MLS clubs -- the San Jose Earthquakes
and New England Revolution.
5. Kreis, all mighty
Dallas Burn forward Jason Kreis came into his own during the regular season,
becoming the league's first 15-15 player, finishing with 18 goals and 15
assists to capture the scoring title en route to MVP honors, which was
announced on Friday. That should earn him a shot at making the national team,
although you have to wonder his disappearing act during the playoffs (one
goal, and that was a last-minute penalty kick in the waning minutes of the
Burn's final playoff loss).
6. United, they stand
If there has been one constant in this league, it has been the excellence
of D.C. United year in, year out. What United has accomplished has been
nothing short of incredible -- two league championships, with the possibility
of a third against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday, and four appearances in
MLS Cup. It doesn't get better than that.
7. The decision
In April, then commissioner Doug Logan made a bold decision, taking upon
himself to assign midfielder Carlos Valderrama to the Tampa Bay Mutiny after
a tumultuous tenure under coach Ivo Wortmann with the Miami Fusion. Never
heard of a commissioner making a trade, even though this one was in the best
interests of the league.
8. The MetroStars mess
Like a bad penny that keeps popping up, the MetroStars seemingly go from one
crisis to another. After a league all-time worst 7-25 season, they recently
parted ways with coach Bora Milutinovic, the World Cup miracle worker who was
an absolute failure as a club coach (Bora did have the longest tenure as a
MetroStars coach -- 33 regular-season matches). That means the MetroStars will
seek their sixth coach entering their fifth season. In the most
soccer-sophisticated market in all of MLS, the MetroStars have woefully
underachieved. In fact, they are the only team from the original 10 that has
declined in attendance each season after a promising start in 1996. They
finished seventh in the league this year at 14,706.
9. Matthaeus is coming -- or is he?
In what has to be considered one of the league's most significant signings, German international defender Lothar Matthaeus inked a
contract with MLS and was assigned to the MetroStars. However, due to
Matthaeus' ever-changing mind and commitments to the German National Team in
the 2000 European Championship, it is not known when Matthaeus will show up
-- before the season, mid-season or perhaps never. This is another MetroStars
headache the league needs like a hole in the head.
10. The endless season
What started way back on March 15 will finally end on Sunday with MLS Cup.
That's exactly 247 days. During that time, the baseball season started and
finished (heck, they're naming their MVPs this week) and the college
basketball season finished and started. The decision to extend the season was a bad one
for the league. It will not give the 12 teams or the league office much of a
turnaround time for the 2000 season.
Other headliners
Ron Newman is fired by the Kansas City Wizards; Octavio Zambrano is fired by
the Galaxy; United and the Chicago Fire are eliminated in the semifinals of
the CONCACAF Championship Cup; and the Dallas Burn's great playoff run.
Clavijo: I'm gone Monday
After coaching the MetroStars for the past three weeks, Fernando Clavijo is
stepping down as interim coach as of Monday. Clavijo, a candidate for the
team's vacant coaching post, decided to make the move to force the MetroStars
to make a decision. The MetroStars said they plan to name their sixth coach
by Dec. 1, also wanted to name one by this past week.
"The team needs to make a decision," Clavijo said. "It is unfortunate that it
has to happen this way. . . . I want to be head coach of an MLS team. This
affects me possibly getting a job somewhere else.
"People say I am crazy because I don't have a job. The MetroStars need to
make a commitment to me or someone else."
Thumbs up on the rule changes
Congratulations to commissioner Don Garber and the league's competition
committee and board of governors for those rule changes. While some of them
may appear to be cosmetic, it was an important first step to win back all
those fans the league had alienated in its first four seasons.
It will be interesting to see, however, when those ties start coming in fast
and furious next spring whether the same writers who complained about the
proliferation of shootouts will whine about the number of drawn matches.
Some more rule changes and news
The 2000 season will remain at 32 games, according to Garber, not 26 or 28 as
had been rumored. MLS Cup 2000 will be played on Oct. 15, with Washington,
D.C. and Tampa as the two finalists.
The league has decided that all playoff series will be best-of-three series.
If all three games end in a tie, which is possible, a tiebreaker system will
decide the series. Garber said the system will be decided in the near future.
There aren't many options -- either a 30-minute mini-game after the third
match -- or penalty kicks. There has been talk of awarding the series to the
team with the best record, but that would be yet another artificial way of
determining a winner.
They said it at Friday's MLS press conference:
A tired Jason Kreis, who just returned home from national team duty, accepted
the MVP award. "Wow. Wow. I'm shocked. I'm flattered," he said. "I'm proud.
It's been an unbelievable year. I have a lot of people to thank and I'll do
that tomorrow night [at the MLS awards dinner] when I can write it down. I
would like to thank the MVP of my house, my wife Kimberly."
When Garber talked about pregame ticket sales of 40,000 and the host team,
the Revolution, having "been out of the running [for the playoffs] for some
time," Revs owner-operator Jonathan Kraft said, "Our coach went to D.C."
To which D.C. United coach Thomas Rongen replied, "... happens, you know."
Kraft made it sound like Rongen left on his own volition. Actually, the Revs
fired Rongen with six games remaining in the 1998 season, which turned out to
be a favor to the Dutch-born coach because he eventually was named United
coach late last year.
Everyone is a comedian. "I would like to thank D.C. United for inviting us
to their annual championship game this year," L.A. Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid
told the audience. "I know they like to change opponents every year. We'd
like to come a little more regularly, if it's all right with you."
Doubting Thomas
You have to question the decision-making process of Columbus Crew defender
Thomas Dooley, who left his teammates high and dry in their final playoff
game against D.C. United on Sunday to pursue a coaching license in Germany.
True, Dooley was not near the player he was last year and was in and out of
the Crew lineup, but you don't do that to a team in its most important game
in franchise history. As it turns out, Dooley was talking behind the back of
Crew coach Tom Fitzgerald, not the best way to prepare for a coaching career
of his own.
How would Dooley like a veteran player to do that to him when and if he
coaches?
What is that golden rule? Do unto others as they would do to you?
In soccer, I think they call it: "What comes around, goes around."
Strange things are happening
Indeed they are on the U.S. Women's National Team's Victory Tour. First and
foremost, the American women have dropped four consecutive games at home,
which they have never done. Second, ticket prices seem to be extremely
inflated, particularly for an exhibition game, and third, there are no
official scorers, leaving the dirty work up to the media.
Granted, I realize it is only an exhibition, but if you're going to charge
prices as high as $37 a ticket, couldn't they have found someone to make sure
the goals and assists were given to the right players? The worst thing you
want is inaccuracy in any of the game reports.
I thought we left this behind in the 1980s.
Michael Lewis covers soccer for the New York Daily News and is editor of Soccer Magazine.
To submit a question or comment to Michael Lewis, click here.
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